Drinking Water

Alicia Robinson They are the elected offices people don't usually pay much attention to -- that is, until funny-tasting water comes out of the faucet, or the toilet won't flush. In November, 15 people will seek directors' seats on boards that control how the water tastes and where the waste goes. You might not know who the board members are, but you probably know their work. "If we're doing a good job, we're off the radar screen," said John Withers, who has served on the Irvine Ranch Water District Board for 15 years and is seeking another term in November.

Jenny Marder The Army Corps of Engineers is letting one of Newport-Mesa's main water suppliers capture an additional 1.6-billion gallons of storm water this winter, enough to serve almost 10,000 Orange County families. This will provide a boost to a depleted groundwater supply that's hurting from increased use and four years of drought. The Orange County Water District will now be able to capture 13,500 acre-feet of water behind the Prado Dam instead of the previous 8,600 feet, increasing storage capacity in the area by 50%. The district will store the water until March 1 and then release it into its groundwater basin.

June Casagrande If you want the scuttlebutt on how to win top honors at the Southwestern Rendezvous youth sailing competition, you'd do well to talk to the crew of Sea Scout Ship 711. For starters, these 10 young men know that the main definition of "scuttlebutt" isn't gossip or rumor. A scuttlebutt was what sailors used to call a vessel to hold drinking water on a ship. Today, it's the title of just one of the 15 events for which this crew won first place in last week's Rendezvous at Port Hueneme Navy Base.

June Casagrande A potential cancer-causing chemical found in drinking water supplies earlier this year gave a startling lesson for a groundwater replenishment system planned to take effect in 2007. The chemical 1,4-dioxane got into water that had been through a treatment that officials had believed would filter out all such chemical agents. This treatment process, known as reverse osmosis, is integral to the region's plans for replenishing ground water.

June Casagrande The Orange County Water District has agreed to compensate the two cities for costs incurred when a potentially cancer-causing solvent was found in local water supplies in January. The district will pay $186,000 to Costa Mesa and $157,000 to Newport Beach to compensate them for having to buy water from other sources in January after the district discovered the potentially carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane. "It was a unique situation," said Ron Wildermuth, a spokesman for the water district.

The Costa Mesa Human Relations Committee is holding its first volunteer recognition reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. The event will honor Costa Mesa residents who have given time and effort to improve the city, committee members said. Mayor Linda Dixon and her fellow council members are scheduled to take part. The reception will be held at the Neighborhood Community Center in Lions Park, 1845 Park Ave. Study says water supply is safe The city's water supply is safe, according to a report released this week by the Mesa Consolidated Water District.

Lolita Harper COSTA MESA -- The city's water supply is safe, according to a report set for release next month. The Mesa Consolidated Water District Report for 2002 will be mailed to customers in July, said General Manager Diana Leach, and will detail the results of various daily tests that are done to ensure safe drinking water. "The public is much more aware of water quality, and we want to make sure our customers know that things are not only OK but we continue to monitor its safety every day," Leach said.

June Casagrande NEWPORT-MESA -- Wells taken out of service after a potentially cancer-causing chemical was detected are again providing water to Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. Mesa Consolidated Water District, which provides water to Costa Mesa, stopped providing water from its three wells on Jan. 29 after the Orange County Water District announced it had found traces of the industrial solvent known as "1,4-Dioxane" in the county's aquifer. Newport Beach also stopped service from its wells in Fountain Valley in response to the discovery.

Paul Clinton NEWPORT-MESA -- To help ease the financial burden of last month's discovery of a cancer-causing substance in Newport Beach's water supply, Mayor Tod Ridgeway has asked the county water agency for about $3.9 million. The city's four drinking-water wells have been shut down since Jan. 29, when county water officials announced they found an industrial solvent in the ground-water aquifer. The solvent, known as 1,4-Dioxane, has been placed on a state watch list of substances potentially harmful to human health.

Paul Clinton NEWPORT BEACH -- The city shut down its four drinking water wells in Fountain Valley on Monday after traces of a dangerous substance were found in the county's ground-water aquifer. Known as "1,4-Dioxane," the industrial solvent is one of 50 that have been placed on a state watch list as a danger to public health. City officials decided to stop the flow of water from the aquifer into the city's drinking water supply while they investigate the chemical, which is a probable cancer-causing agent.